The evening culminated in a rousing game of "Book Swap". The rules are simple: Bring a used book. Then swap it. Other than that, it's Anything Goes! Some of us forgot padding, so there were a few injuries.

-I won Carol Lynch William's book THE CHOSEN ONE. James got a Baby book. See? There are winners and losers.

-Bree Despain won a bodice ripper. The male model on the cover was undressing everyone in the Golden Corral dining room with his eyes. By the time dessert rolled around, everyone was naked. That's when the pirate ships appeared and the disco ball lit up. Makes you want to come to the next one, right?

-Number of trips I took to the ice cream bar, all the while claiming "I'm gonna get my ten bucks back in ice cream alone!": 4

-Number of times I complained that the hot fudge machine was rigged to be difficult: 4

-Number of times I told James to "stop looking fuzzy" for my camera phone: 2

-The whole night, I refrained from saying how I thought Apollo Anton Ohno is cute, because I didn't want Natasha Maw to think I was hitting on her husband:

(Natasha, her hubby, and her sister Leisa. The resemblance to Ohno is uncanny, isn't it? Although from his expression in the pic, I imagine a little word bubble above his head saying, "If someone tells me I look like Apollo one more time, I swear I'm gonna throw this table across the room." Just kidding. He's really nice. This is a long picture caption, isn't it?)

Here's the real Ohno. Tell me there isn't a resemblance...

-Every time someone asked me about my book, I'd answer using "We..." As in: "We're still waiting... We're working on it... We're spending our mornings writing..." I don't know why this made me feel better. As if writing wasn't such a lonely endeavor. I finally said, "And by 'we', I mean me, my left boob and my right boob. The three of us are working hard on the book."

-When asked why she had two nametags, someone said it was so she could name her two best friends:

I sure wish I'd gotten to your table as it sounds like it was a lot more exciting than mine (which at first was so exclusive, you had to be a member of my family to sit at it). You should have put "writer" on your tag. That totally works.

Jenilyn- You and I are in the same position. We'll carpool to the summer social!

Melissa- You should've come over! I was going through the pictures afterward, and I saw the one on Suey's blog with your name, and I was all, "That's Melissa? I was right by her all night!" Seriously, we need name tag hats next time. I feel like I know all the bloggers so well, but only by their avatars. Am I using that right? or is it Gravitars? Or Icons? Anywho...

Val- Can I help it if my boobs had a mind of their own that night? At least we'll have more money for our cruise.

Kim- I hope you didn't look at this post for your first impression of me. Come to think of it, none of my posts create a good first impression of me. Hopefully we'll be able to actually "meet" at the next event!

You're right, James Dashner is looking a little fuzzy there, but so are your name tags--if you squint, they look like they say "boobtastic". Also, I like the new blog look, but you know what? I've been known to waste hours playing with backgrounds and colors. Wouldn't want to get itchy eyes, you know.

That wasn't the REAL Apolo Ohno... I sat across from him at IHOP just last week! (he had the bandanna and everything! I should have snapped a pic!) I just want to know how he made it all the way from Vancouver to St Louis and back in such a short time!

Okay, so the "slash" in the title of this post had me expecting something more along the lines of shoot-out at the ok corral, except at Golden Corral with steak knives maybe...perhaps there is a zombie or other story in there somewhere.

I'm so jealous, your author-esque events always seem like so much fun...or maybe it just sounds that way, you are a very talented typist (isn't that what we figured out for you last time??) I would so attend but without bending time and space, the drive from Cali is just too long. Where is Scotty when you need him?!?

We see commercials for Golden Corral all the time and yet, as far as I know, they aren't anywhere near where I live.

Careful Brodi, men in white coats come if your two friends start talking back to you! But if they only converse with each other, I think you'll be fine.

Like the new blog look...it's springy, makes me happy. Not that the other one made me sad, I just like the brighter one...for now. You can change it again and I will like it again too.

Golden Corral. Only been there once. Great rolls. Sorry you had to bring your 'two best friends' for moral support. Thank goodness they've always got your back...and your front. Your book will be the next one to be published. Guaranteed.

Kayla- I was planning on going to hear Richard Peck, but I think I might be getting a head cold. If you see me there, say hi! And everyone's invited to these shindigs, so next time come! (I'll try to actually post about the next one in advance...)

Una- I'm such a dork! How did miss your first comment? I totally should've put typist. Anywho it would be cool if u lived closer and we actually met in person at one of these shindigs. Thanks for liking the new blog look!

I was waiting all weekend to hear how you'd recap that evening. I think our table got quite a few stares (since we were laughing so loudly) from the other patrons behind us who were doomed to sit so near. So I had dinner there and unexpectedly got entertainment as well. :)

I had a lot of fun there, too. I wish I'd sat closer to your table, but I did enough wandering I think I stopped and said hi. Can I steal your title of "Boobtastic" next time someone asks me what I do? "I write books and am totally boobtastic."

Author, Writer, Typist. #1 Crazy since 2009.

I write Young Adult novels. I live for chocolate covered cinnamon bears. I love me some Diet Coke. My debut book EVERNEATH (the first in a trilogy) came out January 24, 2012 with Balzer and Bray (HarperCollins). The sequel EVERBOUND came out January 22, 2013 and the final installment, EVERTRUE, came out January of 2014. All three are available in paperback.

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NEVERFALL

A novella, told from Cole's point of view, that takes place between Everneath and Everbound. Available in e-book.